Local Food

local food

Local Farms for Indiana Communities

Chartwells works closely with local farmers to bring fresh produce straight from farms to our schools. We buy whole crops and flash freeze local fruits and vegetables so we can serve them in school year-round. We also source local wholesome ingredients like honey, milk, cheese and beef, which allows us to introduce fresh new foods and flavors to our school menus.

Chartwells continues to nurture partnerships directly with local farms while maximizing volume and variety by working with Indiana’s top family-owned produce distributor. This ensures local, seasonal produce and ingredients are the first choice when planning our menus. Your on-site team will utilize locally focused order guides, forecasting tools and planning calendars to bring farm-fresh goodness to your cafeterias.

Generally defined, local is a 250-mile radius and regional is within 400 miles. We can customize this designation to your preference.

Indiana Local Farms

With local sourcing, we are able to minimize environmental impact and reduce waste while supporting our school communities where they live, work and learn. Farm-to-school practices allow us to prepare wholesome recipes with scratch and batch-cooking techniques that retain nutrients and flavor. This commitment to local farming benefits students, farmers and the entire community.

Chartwells districts purchase more than 76% of produce and dairy products from local farms.

Farm-to-School Education

With the largest team of registered dietitians in the industry, Chartwells is uniquely qualified to build on farm-to-school best practices, adding nutrition education learning experiences in our cafeterias and classrooms. Local produce is incorporated into recipes that we sample at pop-up tasting events for Discovery Kitchen, Global Eats and Mood Boost as well as fun days like Great Apple Crunch Day. Each of these student engagement programs includes an education focus and a side of fun. Students learn:

  • Where their food comes from
  • Sustainability best practices
  • The growing cycle of fruits and vegetables, from seed to cafeteria tray
  • How different foods can affect your mood
  • Which local ingredients create culturally relevant flavors

IT DOESN’T GET ANYMORE LOCAL THAN THIS

Farmers Market

An idea for future consideration: On-site farmers markets can help shape the way students select healthy foods outside of school. Students practice their math skills and learn about nutrition and financial transactions. These events can be held in outdoor tents set up to emulate traditional farmers markets or we can set up in a large indoor space with tables, baskets and farm decor. We coordinate with local farms to supply the market with produce, and students are able to shop using play money, or “Veggie Bucks,” and bags to take home fresh vegetables and recipes. Chartwells managers will be on hand to facilitate the fun and bring nutrition lessons to life. It’s a great event for kids, staff and the school community!

Farmers Market Activities

Our farmers market event will be unique and just right for the students of GCCS. Below are some examples of fun and engaging activities we can facilitate:

  • A pumpkin patch with melon and pumpkin carving demonstrations
  • A smoothie bike where students can blend up fresh fruits and veggies
  • Fresh apple cider and apple snacks
  • Live-action chef cooking demonstrations with delicious recipes like cauliflower fried rice or veggie stir-fry
  • Boxed lunches featuring vegetables from the market
  • A fun fall-themed photo booth

Read more about a special farmers market event at Avondale Schools (Michigan) in FoodService Director Magazine. 

Spotlight on Local Farms

Coffing Brothers, Covington

For over 115 years, Coffing Brothers Orchard has grown crisp, sweet apples perfect for eating and baking. After many changes and generations, Coffing Brothers is now run by Roger, Greg, Tim, Joe and Mark Coffing on 1,400 acres of farm land in Indiana. They harvest 100,000 bushels of apples a year, including varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith and Braeburn. Recently, our Chartwells team at Beech Grove City Schools featured local apples from Coffing Brothers along with local honey from Eisele’s Raw Honey in the annual Great Apple Crunch celebration, where we sampled autumn salad at a pop-up Discovery Kitchen tasting event.

Garwood Orchards, LaPorte

Founded in 1831 by John Garwood, this family orchard has been around for six generations. While 200 acres are devoted to apples, another 150 acres are used to grow peaches, raspberries, pumpkins, strawberries, cherries, sweet corn, peppers and more. Tom, Brian and Mike Garwood run day-to-day operations while their fathers, Carl and Jim, still help on the farm, although they may claim to be retired. Hard work and a love for farming are the lasting tradition of this Garwood legacy. We are proud to serve Garwood produce in our cafeterias throughout Indiana. You can find Garwood strawberries in Discovery Kitchen “Plant Power” fresh fruit pizzas and in Mood Boost elementary tasting events where we sample raspberries with chocolate and basil to demonstrate how certain foods can help you feel more alert.

Local Food Event

Apple Crunch Day

Beech Grove City Schools celebrated the #IndianaGreatAppleCrunch with an apple-themed meal and a Lucky Tray Day prize giveaway!

Our menu was filled with apple goodness:

  • Apple Glazed Chicken & Biscuit
  • Apple Cheddar Meltdown Sandwich
  • Apple & Swiss Sandwich
  • Peanut Butter & Apple Roll-Up
  • Apple Cinnamon Parfait
  • Warm Baked Apples
  • Apple & Yogurt Salad